Poetic Tragedy
by Vauseman.TayLaur
Summary: Multi-chapter AU: Piper Chapman gets sucked in in a world she hates after she saves Alex Vause from herself.
1. Chapter 1

Alex's POV

The concrete pathway is wet. Alongside this road, miles and miles of green adorn the view. Old, imposing trees, one after the other, standing tall in the darkness of the night.

I can smell the grass, the wood... nature. And believe me, the full moon shining majestically in the vast sky is absolutely breathtaking. The only thing that can be heard is the raindrops hitting my car.

I'm standing ouside it, and I must be crazy because I'm drenched to the bones, but I don't really care. At all. There's nothing that can make me feel right. I'm feeling really lost and all sense of purpose just vanished when my mom died. And I can't recover, I don't even want to live, I'm alone and nobody cares. I don't care.

I take off my glasses because they are foggy and I can't see shit. I really can't tell how long I have been here, but it doesn't matter because I've nowhere else to be. So I scream, and I cry and I mourn. Mourn her death, but also mourn the loss of soul.

I can feel myself shattering to a thousand pieces. I kneel down to my knees and sit down. Wishing to die. _That's it, if I die then I might be able to see her again, and I could get rid of this bullshit._

 _Is there any reason I shouldn't do it right now?_

* * *

Piper's POV

 _Just a great idea, really Piper, you're brilliant! Driving in the rain! Absolutely fucking brilliant._

 _I think I should stop somewhere and wait..._

 _No, it could be dangerous, there's only trees around, what if anyone comes out from there and rapes me?_

She burst out laughing at that thought and just tried to chill, listening to music on her speakers.

"I've been taken with a new emotioooooooon" she was singing too loud, but didn't care, she was alone and no one could judge her.

She was driving slowly when she noticed something odd. There, barely 10 yards away from her was parked a black car, and she was really scared.

 _Oh my god, what if they kidnap me?, oh no, what do I do?_ So, naturally, she sped up. And didn't even stop to look what was the deal, until several yards away that she saw her.

She stepped out of the car, and started running to the motionless body. Her heart was thumping in her chest. What could possibly have happened to her?

She was a stranger, but nonetheless another human being. And reaching her, she saw that it was a ravishing one.

 _Oh my god._ She couldn't think, she couldn't move, never in her life did she imagine she would witness something like this. She felt tears starting to trickle down her cheeks at the sight in front of her.

She saw a beautiful girl, black hair, white skin, lying unconscious with a pool of blood around her arms. Not far from her, there was the reason of those deep cuts.

She desperatly reached for her cellphone and dialed 911 with shaking hands.

* * *

Alex's POV

 _This pain. I can acknowledge it. I can embrace it. It's finally taking me to where I want. This beautiful pain._

She was no longer crying, the stinging of the freshly made cuts was too much. It hurt like nothing else she had felt in her entire life, but she was smiling.

She let herself bleed, and lied down, just waiting for the end of it all. She could feel herself letting go, she wasn't able to move anymore, her heart was beating too slow, her lungs screamed for air, she closed her eyes.

* * *

Piper's POV

Piper kneeled down and put her fingers on the girl's pulse point, dreading to not feel anything there. But there it was, a really feeble pulse.

So she put her hand on the brunette's cheek and started caressing her, tenderly.

"Hey, you can't let go! They are coming. Please, stay here. Don't give up!" She was telling the black haired woman, her face inches away from her.

"Please, I beg you, don't give up" she was watching intently at the brunette, ocasionally checking her pulse, and never stopping the talking.

She had her eyes fixed on the closed eyelids. "Don't go, please".

And the most beautiful thing happened.

* * *

Alex's POV

The words came to her like whispers. She couldn't make out most of them.

She wasn't even sure if she was listening to something or if it was her mind.

She was in a blur, going in and out of consciousness, but there was one moment where she actually heard her clearly.

"Please, I beg you, don't give up"

Silence

"Don't go, please". It actually sounded inviting. Like she could hear that voice forever and feel other thing but sadness.

So, she tried to open her eyes, barely making it.

In the distance the ambulance sirens could be heard.

Emerald met blue eyes.

 _I'm already in heaven._

* * *

 _A/N: Hey, I'm sorry for any mistakes, I just wrote this, came out almost forcefully. I hope it's not too bad. The title is from a song by The Used.  
_


	2. Chapter 2

" _ **And sometimes broken things**_

 _ **make the best building supplies."**_

 _Bikes + Bridges, Defiance, Ohio._

* * *

Emerald met blue eyes.

 _I'm already in heaven._

Alex gave up. The last thing she saw in this planet were those blue orbs and she thought that was a sight worth dying for and dying _with._ So she let go, she stopped trying to breathe and she couldn't even feel the pain anymore.

 _Blissful nothing._

"No! no, no, no, no. Don't you dare die right now!" Piper screamed at the top of her lungs while three paramedics descended from the ambulance with a gurney, a tank of oxygen and the emergency bag.

"Miss, we need you to give us space, please" The older paramedic told her while he kneeled beside the raven-haired girl to check on her pulse and heartbeat.

"No pulse. Starting Cadriopulmonary resuscitation" he yelled and started to make compressions on her chest, counting them and motioning to another paramedic to try to stop the hemorrhages on her arms and to open her air ways by intubating and applying oxygen. Everything was difficult because of the rain.

The third paramedic reached Piper and said: "Ma'am, I'm Paramedic Johnson and I'm in charge of the unit, I brought Paramedic Díaz and Parker, please stay calm and let them work to save your…."

"Oh, I don't really know her, I just found her" Piper said sobbing. "But she's so young, why would anybody do that?" the words came out broken and whispered.

"Okay, ma'am, are you willing to go with us? Or do we take her from here?"

"We've got pulse!" Parker yelled.

"Stabilize her as best as you can and off we go" Johnson ordered.

So they put her on the gurney and carried her to the inside of the ambulance.

Meanwhile, Piper was holding her breath and looking intently at the limp body on the gurney and didn't answer the man.

"Miss, I'm sorry, we need to go now, to take her to the nearest hospital, Are you going to come with her or not?" the man said impatiently.

"Of course, I'm sorry, I'm just so scared" Piper said shaking uncontrollably and started walking with wobbly knees to the ambulance. She hopped inside, they closed the doors and Johnson went to the front to start the engine and drive off.

On the back of the ambulance, Alex Vause died one more time and after frantic attempts, the two paramedics brought her back, and they were a few miles away from the hospital.

Piper was in shock, the two paramedics spoke to her and tried to calm her down, but she couldn't speak, and she didn't even knew why she felt like this, because she didn't even know her, but it was the whole situation that frightened her, and she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do once they arrived at the hospital.

Her mind was spiraling downwards and she forgot that she had friends and family she was supposed to be visiting. They arrived at the hospital and Alex was taken inside by two doctors and several nurses.

Piper stayed outside, frozen in her spot and still shaking, until her cellphone rang and she finally snapped out of it.

"He-hello"

"Pipe? Oh my god, where are you?" Polly Harper, best friend on the other end of the line, sounded concerned.

"I'm sorry, the weirdest thing just happened to me, I'm at the hospital because…"

"WHAT? Are you okay? What happened to you?" Polly was ranting and didn't let Piper talk until she felt desperate and yelled:

"Shut up! I'm fine, just listen to me! I'm here with a girl who tried to commit suicide and I don't know what I am supposed to do, I'm so scared, I saw her bleeding to death!"

She broke again, and no words could be understandable, so she had to lean against a counter and take deep breaths when a nurse came rushing to her to help her.

Once she was able to breathe again, she told Polly to forgive her and that she would talk to her later before hanging up.

The doctor came back to her to ask her about the patient, but she kicked herself mentally because she didn't even try to look inside the girl's car for any ID, so she told the doctor that she didn't know her but she was going to take care of her until the next morning, when she would be able to go to the girl's car to find who she was and if she had a cellphone or something.

The doctor told her that it was not necessary, that she could leave now and tell them the address where the car was and the police would take care, she was not allowed to do anything anyway because she was not direct family.

"I want to thank you, though. You saved that girl's life" the doctor smiled "Go get some rest, your job here is done, and you are a hero." The doctor told the disgruntled girl and turned around to leave.

He didn't even give her any information on the girl's status. This situation sucked, because now, she was strayed on the hospital, miles away from her car and without money to do anything, because fear betrayed her. She didn't even think about any of those things when she was in front of the dying girl, and now she hated herself, because the only thing she could do was talk to Polly to ask her to go and pick her up.

So that's what she did, and after 45 minutes and constant scolding, Piper was getting inside Polly's car.

"Please, Polly, I beg you… don't say anything. Please. I don't want to talk about it now, tomorrow you can tell me everything you want and how careless I was, but right now, just cut me some slack" Piper said with a cold glare.

Polly arched her eyebrows as an answer and didn't utter another word for the entire car ride to Piper's home.

As soon as they arrived, Piper said 'thank you' and 'goodbye' and headed straight to her house, without looking back. Polly was furious but didn't say a thing. _She will pay later,_ Polly thought.

* * *

Throughout the whole car ride and even now, inside of her house, Piper couldn't stop thinking about that girl, and the way her face contorted with pain, how her chest was barely moving when she arrived and the pools of blood…

She could never forget that, nor the beautiful green eyes that she saw for a sweet moment.

She was so nervous and scared still that she went to her fridge and got a cold beer, to help her calm down. But after four beers, she didn't feel better, in fact she was feeling a lot worse, nauseous, nervous, dizzy, sad, scared and angry. So she tried to sleep it off.

 _The girl was lying unconscious on the road and Piper ran for miles and miles and couldn't reach her, getting desperate because she knew that the girl was dying._

 _After what seemed like hours she reached her and begged her to stay with her, to not give up and the girl woke up, sat down and told her:_

" _It's too late… you didn't arrive on time, I'm dead and you killed me"_

Piper woke up screaming at the top of her lungs, sweating and panting heavily.

Worse nightmare she could remember. She tried to calm down yet again and breathed slowly and deeply, watching the clock on her nightstand. 5:48 a.m.

 _That's it._

She got off the bed and went to shower, letting the hot water take away her feelings.

She got dressed and went out of her house, she was still nervous so she started running, all the way to the place of the incident.

She wasn't thinking straight, because she was told that the police was going to take care of the issue but she felt that she was the one who should know who she was. _IS!_ (she forced herself to think). So when she arrived at the place she was mad because until then, she realized that she had no keys and she didn't think the car would be open.

 _I might as well try._

Magically, the left back door was unlocked. So she opened the imposing car and searched everywhere for anything that might help her, until she found a wallet and opened it frantically, finding finally an ID.

The photograph of the girl was astounding and Piper felt a jolt of electricity run through her body. The girl was the most beautiful one she's ever saw. With her bright green eyes glowing and her cheeks a slight tone of red, plump lips with a playful smirk.

 _Alex Vause._

* * *

 ** _A/N: I think this is not nearly as good as the first part, but right now it is the best thing I can come up with and I felt the need to write this, I suppose there are going to be two more chapters, I'll see how it works. Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement. They worked and that's why I wrote this part (although I'm not happy with it, to be completely honest). I hope you liked it._**

 ** _Maddz2: Thank you so much. I hope I don't disappoint with this one._**

 ** _MsViolet85: It was bittersweet, but I considered another chapter._**

 ** _Kojojo: Here it is, I hope you're still interested._**

 ** _WB79: Thank you so so much, because you're always supporting new fic writers, and you helped me a lot. I hope this was half as good as the last chapter._**

 ** _jomichael03: Here you go! Hope you enjoyed._**

 ** _AnonAvidReader: You got it._**

 ** _And all the guest comments, thank you guys because you made me want to continue this._**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello, I'm here again, delivering chapter three. It's a short update because I wanted to give you guys this update quickly. Do not worry, I'm already writing more. I hope you like it.  
**_

* * *

 _Alex Vause_

Such an intriguing name, especially because it belonged to a gorgeous **young** girl. _Why would anyone want to end their life?_ That was something she couldn't understand. Surely her life was far from perfect, she had so many issues to deal with, but she was sure that suicide was not something anyone should do and she certainly couldn't understand why a girl who was around her age thought she was done with life.

Piper was sitting on the back seat of the luxurious car thinking hard about what to do. _What can I do to see her?_ She was not a family member, hell, not even a friend, never saw her before and still she felt the need to take care of her, because she _happened_ to be passing there at that exact moment, so she felt that it was fate.

She wanted to take care of _Alex,_ she never thought she'd save someone's life but here she was.

Piper jumped a foot in the air when a police car pulled over behind the car and the siren's sound interrupted the peaceful silence.

"Shit!" Piper cursed out loud, the ID still in her (now) shaking hands. She quickly hid the ID between her panties and her jeans, whatever happened, she wanted to keep the ID.

"Ma'am, step out of the car, hands up where I can see them!" yelled a policeman.

Piper slowly climbed off the car with both her hands up in surrender, feeling light headed, shaking from head to toe.

"You have the right to remain silent. Car's been reported as stolen." The officer said loudly, getting closer to the frightened blonde.

Piper noticed the young lady standing beside the police officer, a short, eccentric looking woman, with disheveled blonde-reddish hair, who was staring at her with a total expression of disbelief and confusion.

"Miss Nichols" the officer referred to her, "Do you know this woman?" Said Miss Nichols shook her head.

"No, officer" the woman said calmly and the policeman nodded.

"Ma'am, you'll have to go with me down to the station to make your declaration." The tall man with a moustache yelled again. "Turn around, you have the right to remain silent."

Piper did as she was told and turned around so the man could handcuff her, although she was sure that something was wrong in the whole proceeding of things. Surely they couldn't arrest her?

"You may call a lawyer when you're there." The man said grinning maliciously, while handcuffing the blonde with excessive force and sniffing her hair loudly.

 _What the fuck is he doing!?_

Piper tried to keep calm, in order to not sink herself in deeper shit, so she took a deep breath and let the man carry her to the police car in silence. She was scared to death but she was trying really hard to not let any emotion show in her features. She sat on the back seat of the police car for a couple of minutes, while the man and "Miss Nichols" talked outside.

She was taken to the station where she was waiting to make her phone call.

The dialing tone was making her feel uneasy. _What if she doesn't answer? I have just one phone call. I should've called my father, what was I thinking? Oh my god, what am I going to-_

"Hello?" Polly finally answered.

"Oh my god, thank you Polly, I was so afraid you would not pick up! I thought I was doomed! I'm so scared" the blonde rambled.

"Piper? What's up? What happened?"

"One minute!" yelled a blonde, fat officer from behind.

"Shit, Polly, I need you to listen, don't interrupt, I've got just one minute. I'm down at the police station, please call Larry and ask him to bring his dad here, I need a lawyer ASAP. I'm at the station located on…."

* * *

Everything was swirling darkness, and she wasn't sure where or _when_ she was. If she still was.

Alex tried to focus on anything but found herself just _existing,_ she wasn't able to see anything. It was as if she were in a dark room, a room where she didn't have any of her senses. She tried to hear but her ears didn't seem to function, she couldn't smell, taste or touch anything. Somehow she was still _thinking,_ because she could process that she wasn't able to do anything but think and it was a weird as fuck experience.

 _Am I dead? Am I dreaming? Am I high?_

She started to panic and really wanted to scream or move, anything, but nothing happened. She started to cry, or at least felt like she was doing that because she could, at least, feel panic and sadness.

 _Sadness._

 _Loneliness._

 _Pain._

 _That's it. I committed suicide. Maybe this is hell._

She tried to move but noticed that she felt weightless and maybe that was normal because if she was dead, she wasn't supposed to have a body anymore. So she let the darkness surrounding her embrace her.

Beep.

She started to regret every single bad thing she did in her life. Lying to her mom, engaging in the drug world, poisoning young people with the toxic substance, cheating…

Beep.

She would never see her mom again. She killed herself to be able to be with her again, but clearly her mother was in heaven. Not in hell like her, because her mother was an angel, always working hard to make ends meet…

Beep.

How could she be so stupid! So selfish. She thought she had no one in the world to give a fuck about her, but she had her friend Nicky, and she clearly didn't even thought about her…

Beep.

And holy shit, she suddenly remembered all shades of blue swirling together into a pool of apprehension in those azure eyes. _Who is that?_

Beep.

A sharp, shocking pain shot through her, causing every nerve in her _body?_ to come alive.

Beep.

She had the idea that someone was saying her name, but she couldn´t really identify the voice and she wasn't sure that it was a voice because at some points it sounded like muffled sounds and she noticed an annoying beeping sound...

Beep.

No, someone was definitely saying her name, and that someone was also touching her. She was sure now that she at least had senses, and presumably, a body too.

Beep.

She felt so much pain that she was forced to try to open her eyes, with great effort she started to slowly open her heavy eyelids.

Beep.

She had a blurry vision of _everythingsowhite._ Slowly, shadows came to vision and she tried to focus on anything but the light was blinding and her head screamed in pain at the sudden intrusion of light.

"I ca- can't" she croaked in the harshest voice.

Beep.

"Shhh, Alex, it's okay, I'm here with you, you _fucking idiot."_ Nicky scream-whispered the last part.

"What-" she swallowed hard and it hurt like hell.

"Don't speak, you've got a tube down your throat, in case you haven't noticed. Let me call the nurse." Nicky said and pressed a button on a remote lying on a table beside the bed.

"She'll come any second now"

"Who would've thought you had such a _deep throat"_ Nicky chuckled and regretted what she said immediately because when Alex tried to laugh at the joke, she started choking.

Coughing furiously, she started swinging her arms frantically asking for help when the nurse arrived and told her to keep still and slowly removed the tube from her throat.

Nicky thanked her while Alex still had a coughing fit and attempted to touch her neck to soothe the pain but regretted it because the movement of her arms caused her a **greater** pain. And she remembered the whole situation and felt totally embarrassed.

Nicky stopped laughing abruptly, noticing the change of mood in the room, after Alex winced notably while trying to move her arms and she had her eyes fixed on the _bandaged_ arms.

"Feeling better without that thing down your throat? I guess you couldn't give a decent blow job to a guy huh?" the shorter woman said jokingly, desperately trying to lighten the mood.

"Fucking asshole" Alex said, smiling ever so slightly.

"Yeah, that's me, but you're trying _really_ hard to win my title."

"I know" Alex said bitterly.

Sensing it was a bad thing to say, Nicky yet again changed the subject: "Do you know a woman named Piper Chapman?"

* * *

 _ **Thank you so much for the kind reviews, they really encourage me to keep writing so...  
**_

 _ **keep them coming!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**This chapter starts right where I left it last chapter. I hope you enjoy.**_

* * *

"Piper Chapman? Not that I can recall, why?" Alex asked Nicky with great effort.

"Let me get you a glass of water first" Nicky said apologetically, while turning around to fetch the glass and started filling it with fresh water, then handed it to Alex, who made an attempt to grab it but it really hurt, but being the stubborn, proud asshole that she was, she flinched with pain but took the glass anyway, not wanting to be helped.

"Oi, you're not going to die if I help you drink, you know? Well, you might, if I decide to make you choke, you selfish prick" Nicky took the glass and put it on Alex's lips so she could drink the most needed water.

After she felt sated, she nodded her head in a gesture to thank her friend and sighed. "Who's that woman you mentioned?"

"Well, she's a cute _blondie,_ that was found at the scene- at your car, the day after you were brought here. She was _inside_ your car. Police is investigating her, they don't know if she tried to rob your things or if she had anything to do with…"

"No, no one had anything to do with **this"** She said sadly, looking at her damaged arms.

"If that girl was trying to steal anything you could press charges, you know?" Nicky said uninterested.

"Did she look like she was doing that?" Alex said, trying so hard to remember if she knew a blonde named Piper Chapman. _Is she a mule? I don't recall knowing anyone named Piper._

"Well… no, she was sitting on the back seat, she looked confused, and when that stupid cop told me to take a look to see if anything was missing, I noticed that the only thing missing was your ID, but I thought she was one of your mules, or even a secret girlfriend, so I didn't say anything, but now that you say you don't know her, I may need to go to the station to report-"

"How are you sure she has my ID?" Alex asked her with raised eyebrows.

"Because you didn't have it with you when you were brought here, and I looked first at your loft, and I know that if it is not there, it's in your wallet that happened to be opened inside your car, exactly where she was." Nicky said, matter-of-factly.

"Wow, Nichols, you can think after all" Alex said chuckling, feeling _not-_ numb for the first time in a long time, because she wasn't able to appreciate the good things life had to offer her, because she let the darkness in her mind take over every inch of her.

"Nicky, I wanted to tell you that –"

Nicky started shaking her head frantically, her mane-like hair flying in every direction: "Nope, do not get sappy with me, Vause".

"…that I feel sleepy-" Alex finished, smirking.

Nicky smiled affectionately at her, and nodded. "I'll go to the station to see the status of blondie, I'll try to get it out of her"

"Okay" Alex said, yawning.

"…and the information too." Nicky finished laughing, while walking to the door.

The brunette chuckled and tried to find the best position to fall asleep again, this time, feeling lighter and a bit curious about this Piper. _Who was her? and most important… What was she doing in her car?_

* * *

Piper was inexpressive, sitting down quietly at the holding cells down at the police station. She was waiting to be interrogated, and Polly hadn't arrived, so she was starting to feel scared, _panic._

 _I should have called my father- what an idiot. You're an idiot Piper Elizabeth Chapman._

She was thinking hard, what to do. What would she say? The truth? They were never going to believe her and if she dared say she knew Alex, there was no way she could prove it, besides, the car was reported as stolen and she was told by the doctor to stay far from it, because the police was in charge, so, all in all, she was screwed.

 _I'm going to prison._

"Chapman, you've got a visitor." A plump, female guard with blonde hair told her, without even looking at her.

"Polly, oh my god, thank you! I'm so happy you're finally here. And Mr. Bloom, hello." Polly looked at her with a concerned expression, while her lawyer just looked annoyed at the whole situation.

"Pipe, what the fuck have you done? I was so worried, since last night, but I never thought you'd do something stupid… what did you do?" Polly turned around to look at the officer standing a few feet away and turned her volume down, whispering: "What did you do, Why are you here?"

Piper rolled her eyes and told her: "Nothing, really, this is all just a misunderstanding, Pol." She turned her head to face her new lawyer and added: "Mr. Bloom, I need to talk to you before they interrogate me –" Lawyer Howard Bloom raised his hand, indicating Piper to keep quiet.

"What are your charges? And what happened?" He asked calmly.

"I was arrested because I was found inside a car that was reported as stolen. I don't know the name for that, and it happened that I was just looking for an ID" Both Polly and her lawyer looked at her as if she was crazy, so she added quickly:

"Because I wanted to know the identity of the girl I helped rescue last night." She looked at Polly who made a face that told Piper that she understood everything now, while Howard was looking at her waiting for her to elaborate further.

"Last night I was driving by Lincoln Road when I noticed this car parked in the side of the road, and then I saw a girl lying there in a pool of blood, so I called 911 and waited for them to arrive, while talking to her the whole time, trying to keep her alive. She- she tried to commit suicide and I felt horrible, this was a terrible experience, so when the paramedics arrived, I decided to go to the hospital with them, clearly not thinking about anything, so I left my car at the scene, didn't look for the girl's ID and just left with them. After hours, the doctor told me the girl was critical but alive, and that I was a hero, but I should go home and let the police deal with everything. I called Polly, had her pick me up at the hospital and took me home. I practically didn't sleep at all and first thing in the morning I rushed to the place, to look… I wanted to know who she was… so I opened her car and took her ID" she said the last part whispering.

Howard Bloom put her hand in the bridge of his nose and sighed in exasperation.

 _He's so rude to be a decent lawyer… but he's my best choice now._

"Okay, Miss Chapman, you'll have to say everything you've said to me when they interrogate you, nothing but the truth, either way, they'll have to see your car parked there, so your story has an alibi."

Polly widened her eyes and took both her hands to her mouth.

 _Oh shit._

She was on the verge of tears and managed to say: "No, Mr. Bloom, I went there to get it back right after Piper called me… that's the car in which we arrived here."

Mr. Bloom looked angry. "Okay, you'll have to say that too, you just need the testimony of the suicidal girl. She's the only one that can save you from this. It's probable that they are going to release you on probation, until she can give her declaration."

Piper swallowed hard, and nodded, Polly looked at her with pleading eyes. "I'm really sorry Pipe, I just thought you were going to need your car, after you told me where you left it."

Piper nodded. "It's okay". But she was clearly mad at her best friend.

"Time's up" the female guard interrupted them.

"See you soon, Pipe, I'll be waiting here for the resolution." Piper nodded yet again and went to sit down, when the same officer told her that she had another visitor.

Piper turned around in surprise, because it was the same girl.

 _Nichols?_

"Hello blondie, you may not remember me, but I was the one with that disgusting police officer when you were arrested" the shorter woman said amused.

"Hello, I can recall. Nichols, right?" Piper said sure of herself.

"Yop, that's me. I'm sorry if I ain't got time for small talk and shit, but I'm here to ask you…" She leaned closer and whispered very softly: "Why did you keep Alex's ID?" she asked gauging the blonde's reaction.

Piper kept her eyes closed, hands clutching tightly the bars. She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and looked at Nichols right in the eye.

"I'll answer honestly your question, but first I need to know if anyone else knows I kept it." Piper deadpanned.

"Mhm.., interesting, **you** are conditioning me?" Nicky began to laugh at Piper's horror expression.

"Don't worry, I haven't said anything, now tell me why?"

"Because I needed to know who the person that I saved last night was."

Nichols' eyes widened and she looked at Piper like she had grown a pair of new eyes.

"You were with her last night?" she almost yelled.

* * *

 _ **What do you think Nicky's reaction will be?  
**_

 _ **I want to hear your thoughts and opinions.**_

 _ **Thank you so much for your kind reviews, favs and follows, and obviously, reading this little story.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_Nichols?_

 _"Hello blondie, you may not remember me, but I was the one with that disgusting police officer when you were arrested" the shorter woman said amused._

 _"Hello, I can recall. Nichols, right?" Piper said sure of herself._

 _"Yop, that's me. I'm sorry if I ain't got time for small talk and shit, but I'm here to ask you…" She leaned closer and whispered very softly: "Why did you keep Alex's ID?" she asked gauging the blonde's reaction._

 _Piper kept her eyes closed, hands clutching tightly the bars. She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and looked at Nichols right in the eye._

 _"I'll answer honestly your question, but first I need to know if anyone else knows I kept it." Piper deadpanned._

 _"Mhm.., interesting, **you** are conditioning me?" Nicky began to laugh at Piper's horror expression._

 _"Don't worry, I haven't said anything, now tell me why?"_

 _"Because I needed to know who the person that I saved last night was."_

 _Nichols' eyes widened and she looked at Piper like she had grown a pair of new eyes._

 _"You were with her last night?" she almost yelled._

Chapter 5

"Not exactly" Piper said after a few seconds, trying to find the words to explain what happened.

"Explain" Nicky demanded, narrowing her eyes, a little bit annoyed.

"I was just passing by, and I noticed her lying on the ground, so I stopped my car, got off and ran to see if I could help, and she was-" Piper tried to swallow the painful lump that had formed in her throat and after taking a really deep breath, she continued, voice cracking with pain: "She was –bleeding too much… and unconscious… so I started talking to her –just kept talking and trying to awake her when she-" Piper couldn't keep up and broke down, sobbing too much, it was an experience she never thought she'd have to witness.

Nicky had teary eyes and an expression of pure sadness. She wanted to ask Piper all the details but she knew that it was too much for the blonde just now, so she just stared at a point in the wall behind Piper, trying to picture the scene but at the same time, trying not to because it hurt too much.

After several seconds, Piper started talking again: "It was a really horrible experience and although I don't know her, it still felt awful to look at her practically die just as the ambulance was arriving."

Nicky's eyes widened in horror and her throat constricted painfully. She knew that Alex tried to kill herself but she didn't even imagine that she had succeeded at one point so this made her realize that she could have lost her best friend if it weren't for the blonde woman in front of her.

Tears started flowing freely from her eyes and she didn't even try to stop them. She decided that she had to help Piper get out of jail. _It's the least I can do._

"Hey, listen –" Nicky said, and forced herself to stop crying. "I can't really thank you enough, I'd probably never will. You saved my best friend and the least I can do for you is help you. I'll drop the charges and they'll have to let you go."

"Thank you, Nichols. I guess my lawyer is irrelevant now." Piper said trying to joke but Nicky didn't laugh. "I'll go talk to them, don't worry." Nicky said as she turned around to talk to the officers in charge.

"Hey, Nichols." Piper yelled to Nicky's back.

"Yeah?" Nicky stopped and turned around to look at Piper.

"I want to ask you a favor…?" the tallest blonde blurted out, confidently at first but dropping the volume at the end.

Nicky arched an eyebrow at the sudden change of tone. "Okay… shoot." She said amicably.

"Please take me to the hospital to see Alex." Piper ventured shyly.

"Oh." Nicky said genuinely surprised. "Of course. Anything you want, after all, you saved her." the shorter woman finished and for the first time, smiled softly at Piper.

Piper's heart was beating hard, she was nervous about the whole thing and especially because she bluntly asked Nicky and she didn't think first.

* * *

"What were you thinking, Piper Elizabeth?" Carol Chapman shrieked as soon as Piper set a foot in her parent's home.

Bill Chapman, her father gave her a stern look, "Honey, do you want a glass of wine?" he offered her.

"Yes daddy, please." Piper said, not looking at her mother.

Bill entered the kitchen to pour the wine and motioned Carol to follow him.

Piper went to the living room and plopped down on the couch. She sighed, took out her cellphone and began typing.

 _Piper: Could you come to my parent's? Please? I need an excuse to leave asap. XO_ and sent it to Polly, her best friend.

Bill returned with the glass of red wine in one hand and a book in the other.

"Here you go honey." He said sweetly and sat down beside Piper, opening quietly his book.

"Thank you, daddy." The blonde smiled at him and took a needed sip of the red poison.

"I'm just glad you're okay." Bill said with soft eyes.

Piper's phone rang and she checked the text she just received.

 _Polly: I'll be there in 20. You owe me. XO_

The blonde smiled and replied a quick thank you.

She drank her wine in a much appreciated silence, until it was disrupted by her mother: "And what was it like? Jail, I mean." Carol said with her judgmental tone.

Piper rolled her eyes: "It was okay. Nothing strange happened and I was there for a couple of hours, mother." She tried to keep her tone even.

"I just want to know what crossed your mind to do such a thing for a stupid girl you don't even know."

"You wouldn't understand in a million years." Piper said and stood up. She put the glass of wine in the coffee table and thanked her dad.

"I have to go now. Thank you so much, Dad. I'm glad we could talk in the car." Bill stood up and hugged her daughter. "Do you want me to drive you home?" he offered.

"No, thank you. Polly's picking me up." Piper finished and headed out.

"Good bye, mom."

"Good bye, Piper. I hope to see you on Sunday for brunch. And don't say no. You barely come home." Her mother deadpanned.

"I'll see what I can do, mother. Take care." The blonde was saying when her phone rang again.

"There she is, bye." She walked to the front door and left the house in a rush.

"Oh my god, thank you so much, Pol" Piper said as she entered her friend's car.

"Carol's charm?" Polly laughed.

"You bet." The blonde sighed and fixed her gaze on her friend. "Thank you. For everything."

Polly looked her in the eye too, "You're my best friend, Pipe. I'll always do anything for you" and smiled.

"You know I'd do too, Pol" she smiled too.

"So, where are we going?" Polly asked "Want a drink?"

"Yes, it actually sounds good. But let's go to my place, I don't want to be in a crowded place."

"Wherever you want, Pipe." Polly said as she started the car. "That Nichols girl turned out to be nice."

"Yeah, she is, she´s nice." Piper yawned.

"So, she's friend with this –" Polly frowned trying to remember the name.

"Alex." Piper finished for her. "Yeah, she's her best friend. And she wanted to know who I was and what role I played in the events, so I told her everything that happened and she was obviously very sad but very grateful with me."

"Yeah, I can imagine it. I'd be grateful if anyone saved you" Polly looked on the rear view mirror before turning right on Piper's street.

"I asked her to take me to Alex." Piper finally said what she wanted to.

She wanted to talk about it because somehow she felt really nervous to re-meet Alex. She didn't know how the brunette could react.

"Oh, really?" Polly turned to look at her best friend for a moment, before focusing on the road again. She parked the car outside of the blonde's apartment building.

"Yes. I don't know why I want to talk to her. I kinda feel like I'm supposed to help her." Piper said, feeling a little bit dumb.

"That actually makes sense." Polly turned off the car and unbuckled the seat belt as Piper mimicked her actions and they got out of the car and into the blonde's apartment.

* * *

Alex kept waking up, her sleep was restless until the nurse relieved her from her pain with her dose of morphine, and since that moment, when she closed her eyes again, the same scene replayed in her mind: Rain, cold concrete, sharp razor, acute pain, images of her mother, Kubra beating her and then "forgiving" her. Play, pause, repeat. Until a blurry image of a pair of strikingly blue eyes and blonde hair appeared.

Alex snapped awake so suddenly that she used her hands to support herself to sit down and regretted it immediately.

"Motherfucker" the brunette hissed in pain, mentally kicking herself over and over, first because she forgot her situation and second because the same situation.

"As much as I want to tell you that it is true… no. I didn't fuck your mom." Nicky slurred without opening her eyes. "You okay, Vause?" She forced herself to stay awake to make sure her friend was okay.

"Yeah. It's just that I suddenly remembered about the blonde chick you said earlier and hold on… how long have I slept?" Alex asked because she noticed it was dark outside and when Nicky left it was around noon. "What time is it?" "Can you reach me my glasses, please?"

"Jeez, Vause. One thing at a time, I can't even think. It's about –" she reached for her cellphone in her jean pocket "3:30". She finished yawning "So that means that you slept for at least twelve hours." Nicky stood up and walked to the drawer beside Alex's bed to retrieve her glasses.

"Thank you." The brunette replied when Nicky put the glasses in her left hand. "But could you like… put them on for me?" she said a little bit annoyed with herself yet again.

"Oh shit, I keep forgetting." The blonde laughed and helped her put the glasses on.

"I'm sorry." Alex murmured miserably.

"Shut up, asshole. What was that about the blonde?" Nicky said, changing the subject.

"I think she saw me yesterday when I-"

"I know, she's the reason you're here and she's actually hot, Vause." The shorter one stated.

"…"

"I mean, you're very lucky. Even when you fuck things up royally, you manage to get the attention of gorgeous girls, fucking asshole." Nicky poured a glass of water and offered Alex a drink because she noticed that she was on the verge of tears and wanted to give Alex something to do, so Alex gratefully took little sips, trying to wash away the knot in her throat.

"And you better be prepared tomorrow because you have a date." Nicky watched as Alex choked on the water and burst out laughing.

Alex had an uncontrollable coughing fit and watched Nicky menacingly, or as menacingly as she could with teary eyes.

"Could you keep it quiet? For God's sake, it's a hospital!" A small nurse with short, curly, black hair and bright-red lips poked her head through the door and told them.

"Oh, sorry to disturb." Nicky turned her head to look at the nurse and immediately stood up and went to the door.

"I'm really sorry, nurse. I was just trying to distract my friend here." She winked at the shorter woman.

The nurse looked at Alex sympathetically and then smiled at Nicky "That's okay, I understand, but please, try to keep it low, everyone is trying to sleep."

"Yes, nurse. I promise we will." Nicky watched as the nurse turned around and followed her with her eyes until she turned around the corner to the next hallway.

When Nicky turned around again to face Alex, the brunette was laughing silently.

"Well… I'm glad you're in the hospital" the blonde winked.

Alex shook her head "I may need painkillers again soon."

"You better."

"Hey… what is Piper like?" Alex asked curiously.

* * *

 _ **Apologies, I know this is long overdue. I hope you enjoyed.**_

 _ **Vauseman to meet.**_

 _ **By the way, good luck to all of my friends on the US with the election.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello dear friends, I hope you're all doing alright. I really want to thank everyone for reading this, and the people who review, you really make my day, I'm really grateful, you can't possibly know. (:**

 **I'm sorry to inform you that there's no Vauseman meeting in this chapter yet, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. The next chapter will be... well, you'll have to find out (;**

* * *

" _Sorry, Piper, I don't think today's a good day for you to come visit."_ Nicky sounded embarrassed.

" _Oh, okay, I get it, I'm sorry I asked…"_ Piper left the sentence hanging to see what Nicky had to say about it. If she thought that it was better to never meet her, she'd accept it and let it go.

" _No, I'm just saying …not today. She's not feeling very great and she's in a very bad mood, but hey, that's normal. She swings from remorse to anger and sadness and well, I'm saying too much, sorry. I'll let you know when you can meet her."_ she finished and hung up, leaving Piper with her reply caged behind gritted teeth.

Piper sighed and figured she'd better get to work, she was behind on her columns. She worked for Street News, a street newspaper sold by homeless people in New York City. She was happy with that job, because she got to help struggling people in the streets and it gave her a sense of purpose, although that job didn't pay for her bills, so she also had another job as a waitress in a small bar right in the heart of Brooklyn.

In the newspaper she was practically her own boss because she had plenty of time to get her columns right (the newspaper was published every six weeks) and her actual boss let her choose her themes, so she could do as she pleased with that, but her boss in the bar, a nice fiery Russian woman, named Reznikov, wasn't as pleasing. She didn't show up to work yesterday, but she made sure Polly called her to explain the situation and the Russian lady told her to come by when she could to arrange her new schedules for the hours she didn't work.

It was around 4 pm so the only thing she could do now was write her new column, so she started typing "The truth about Ana and Mia" and she opened her browser, and started her research. She'd thought it'd be okay to research and write down the 'theory' part of it and then try to get in touch with people suffering from those eating disorders and try to interview them. After about twenty minutes reading an article, she realized that she'd read the same paragraph for at least three times and didn't catch anything because her mind was tuning in and out, suddenly thinking about Alex and the impact of the situation on her. She thought that it was difficult for her to remember that night, Alex lying down on the ground, barely alive, and she wondered what it was like for family and friends and the suicidal people. She sighed and stood up, trying to clear her head and went to the corner of her living room where her mini bar was and started mixing a dry Martini, while enjoying the street view from her window. After the first sip, she had an idea: she'd write about suicide. Two birds, one stone, kind of.

She returned to her computer and started browsing about "How to deal with suicide" "Ex-suicidal people: what saved you?" and stuff and began typing her own experience, masked in general thoughts about the matter, drinking two more Martinis in the process, when she realized it was almost 7 pm and she had to get to work at 8. She turned off her computer and as she was already dressed up, she took her coat and scarf and headed to Reznikov's bar, the Litch, trying to come up with the best way to approach such a sensitive topic with people who had survived suicide attempts. Alex was on her mind since the beginning, of course, but things didn't look so good there.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a sharp pain in her shoulder, caused by another human body bumping into her with full force.

"Ouch!" Piper yelped, rubbing the injured shoulder. She felt her temper starting to flare.

"I'm really sorry! I didn't see you at all, I was distracted, really sorry, yo, are you hurt?" a blonde, skinny girl with a neck tattoo asked her also rubbing her shoulder, she was wearing ragged jeans and an oversized hoodie.

"No problem, just be careful." Anger dissipated as fast as it built because she noticed that this girl was really sorry for the incident, so she smiled politely to her and suddenly, surprised the younger girl and herself with the question that escaped her lips. "Are you on your own? I mean, do you have plans? I just suddenly thought that maybe we could have dinner or something. On me."

"Are you making fun of me?" she replied, offended.

"No! I'm sorry, I don't mean that you can't afford it or something, I just thought that -"

"Oh, so now you're judging me by my appearance"

"NO! Not at all! I just…" she took a deep breath and continued "I think I've got a job offer to make you, if you'd like to hear it, then I'd like to invite you to dinner so we could talk about it. Feel free to say no if you don't feel like it" _stop. Rambling again._

The girl seemed to ponder for a moment before narrowing her eyes and accepting Piper's offer.

"So… would you mind having dinner at a bar nearby?"

* * *

"You heard her, Vause, whether you like it or not, you keep getting counseling and you can't refuse because it's a …" Nicky kept explaining her reasons but Alex was extremely ashamed of what she'd done so she didn't listen, not because she didn't want to.

The first moments after her attempted suicide were better because she was still in shock and Nicky really helped her to "forget" the matter, but the gnawing feeling wouldn't leave her. She could feel it practically slithering around her body and trying to capture her mind. Alex tried with all her might to be okay and let go of what happened but failed because her mind always traveled back to the depressive, obscure thoughts of ' _I should've died. I can't even do that right.'_

These moments didn't really have a trigger, they just surrounded her existence like ravenous vultures flying in circles. The worst feeling was knowing that although she survived 'for a reason' as every asshole doctor, nurse and psychiatrist had told her, but what do they actually know? She could laugh whenever Nicky made things easier and lighter but she couldn't quite take off the deep black veil that covered her, weighing her down full force. Her inner voice of desire, of wanting and hope had long since shut up and at first, intoxication was soothing, and she found that God wasn't always reachable or didn't exist at all because there were several times that she cried out in violent frustration, searching for that minuscule crevice of hope. But it never came and she kept waiting for something to happen, for someone to save her from her loneliness, from herself. And said person had to arrive when she had given up, saving her and making her even more miserable because she now felt the same hopelessness and loneliness mixed sometimes with blind hate towards that woman, for ruining her plans.

She was really curious about that Piper because she wondered if it was destined to happen. Such luck she had that precisely on that lonely road at that exact time, Piper **had** to pass, she wanted to know what crossed her mind when she decided to help a total stranger, she could've still died right in front of her, she had remembered a faint voice telling her to 'don't give up' and now she knew that it wasn't her mother or God, it had been her and for believing her, even for a minuscule fraction of time, she hated herself. And she was angry at Piper because who was she to ruin her perfect plans to die?

"I've changed my mind." Alex suddenly blurted out, totally unaware that she had interrupted Nicky mid-sentence.

Nicky looked at her attentive and raised her eyebrows.

"I want to see that girl, I want to know Piper." She deadpanned.

The shorter woman looked at her in disbelief and didn't know exactly what to reply because she thought that Alex was not stable and maybe she'd let Piper know that she could come and Alex would eventually cancel again and she didn't want her friend to be under stress.

"When I get out of here. I'd like to talk to her." the brunette said with a weird glint in her eyes.

"'kay, Vause. But… did you just listened to a single word I said?" Nicky asked annoyed.

"Yeah, I did. I'll put effort on the therapy." Alex replied, avoiding eye contact, noticing that Nicky's cellphone was on the small table beside her bed.

"Nic?" the blonde turned to look at her. "Could you bring me some water? Please?" Alex rasped.

Nicky didn't reply but stood up, took the pitcher and headed out of the room. Alex knew that the cute nurse was on call and that Nicky was sure to take her time to come back, so she reached for her friend's cellphone although her arm was burning and she felt like the muscles were screaming in pain, but she took it and the little notebook and pen, turning her head to look at the door every five seconds and after what seemed like hours, she finally 'wrote' down the number she was looking for and hid the paper in the pocket of her hospital gown, returned the items to their place and cursed because she knew she had burned her arm's muscles and it hurt like the first day.

When Nicky returned, she didn't notice anything wrong, so she poured Alex the water and began telling her friend all about 'Lorna' and how Nicky thought she was flirting too. Later on, Alex asked for her painkillers and told Nicky to go home to sleep, that she'd be fine, she'd be asleep. It took a great effort to convince her but eventually she did and Nicky, grateful but reluctantly went home.

* * *

Piper finished her shift at the bar at around 4 am. She was exhausted because she hadn't slept well three days in a row and her body was taking it's toll. The bar had been extra crowded, she made a fair amount of money from tips and Red (the nickname of her boss) had been understanding and even offered her a few days off but she didn't accept them.

Dinner with the blonde, young girl went fine, her name was Tricia and it turned out that she was indeed homeless as Piper had guessed. She offered her the job of selling the newspaper and the young girl accepted it. They set different places and times where they'd meet to arrange everything and Piper told her that she could come by The Litch anytime she needed to see her.

She took a ride with one of her friends who worked at the bar too. The bar was really close to her apartment, but her friend insisted on driving her because he didn't want her to walk alone. His name was Larry and he had had a crush on Piper for over a year now, and Piper had kissed him several times, but every time he asked her to be his girlfriend, she'd always answer the same: "I'm not ready to make a commitment of any type, so I'm not looking for a relationship, I'm sorry Larry, I do love you, but you're my friend and I wouldn't want to ruin that.'

It never mattered to Larry because every chance he had, he 'showed' Piper how much he cared for her, so when he dropped her home, she thanked him, said good bye, got out of the car and walked straight to the door of the apartment building.

"Maybe we could have dinner on Monday, Pipes" he yelled from his car to the blonde's back. She stood still, sighed and turned around to give him an apologetic look before replying with a curt way "Sorry, I already have plans. Good night, drive safe." And she entered without looking back, walking all the way to the elevator. When Piper entered her apartment, she immediately went to prepare a fresh t-shirt and panties and headed to take a shower to get rid of the lactic acid forming in her muscles from the hard work of the night before going to sleep. She took her time, enjoying the feeling of the warm water over her skin and massaging her sore leg muscles.

She got out of the shower, dried up, put her clothes on and blow dried her hair before finally going to bed. She laid down and grabbed her cellphone to turn the sound off when she noticed she had 3 new texts. The first one was Larry letting her know that he had arrived fine, the second was Larry again, telling Piper 'good night' and to take care and sleep well. Piper rolled her eyes and was about to block her phone when she realized the third message was not from Larry. It was an unknown number and it said:

 _Thank you, apparently you did a great thing saving my life. Alex Vause._

Piper's heart was beating a hundred miles per hour, suddenly angry at the brunette for saying such a stupid thing. She decided that she was going to visit her, whether she wanted or not.

* * *

 **So? what did you think? I'd like to hear your opinions, have a nice monday and a great week :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, first of all I want to thank WB79, kellymaire1985, JessTerr, jomichael03 and the guests who took a moment to leave a review. Also, thanks to everyone who has followed/faved and read (:**

 **Here's chapter 7, hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Her head hurt and she was feeling as though all the water in her body had drained out of her, mouth dry and heart thumping loudly in her chest. After she received the message from Alex, she decided it wasn't worth replying, she'd go visit her and tell her everything she thought personally, and got blind drunk all by herself with one beer after another and now, the hangover was a bitch and she regretted drinking while being angry.

"Ugh" she groaned when the light hit her eyes, blinding her and starting a headache that promised to be unforgettable. She tried to get up from whatever surface she was lying on and noticed that she passed out in her couch. She reached out for her cellphone to check the time. 13:36pm… she didn't have to go to work until 9 pm, so she didn't worry about it too much.

Piper got up from the couch and felt sore from the awkward position she'd slept in and the moment she was standing, she felt dizzy and blinked rapidly, trying to control herself. She went to the kitchen to drink a much needed glass of water and looked for aspirins to help her with the headache that was growing silently.

When she plugged her cellphone, she noticed 2 new texts. They were all from Alex:

 _Alex: What's that supposed to mean? Suddenly you need to make your good deeds in life? What awful thing you did that you needed to 'save' me to be forgiven? [6:35 am]_

 _Alex: That's what I thought. So much for helping, huh? [7:43 am]_

Okay, so she went through her old texts and apparently, she texted Alex back when she was drunk but she couldn't remember doing it so she felt dumb and her cheeks felt like burning when she read her obviously drunk texts, telling Alex that she was such a gorgeous girl who didn't have to do those things to attract the attention she so desperately needed from other people, that although she really did get that Alex was depressed, she also thought that it was a coward thing to do and that she really had a gnawing curiosity about her personality.

Alex had texted back, telling her that she didn't even know her and it was really stupid of Piper to assume that she did what she did just because she craved attention. Piper replied that she obviously did because she texted her first and the brunette told her that she was a selfish, indulgent piece of shit who judged her without knowing anything about her. And Piper suddenly remembered feeling bold and replying that she'd like to know more about her.

That was the last text she'd sent and then the two last texts.

"Oh God. What have I done?" Piper sighed. _I can't show my face after this. Should I reply?_

She got in the shower to mull things over, got out quickly and headed out to have breakfast/lunch to a near cafeteria. When she arrived, she entered and sat on an empty table, looked at the menu and ordered her food, still debating what she should do when Nichols entered the same damn cafeteria.

Piper looked down to the table to avoid her eyes but it was too late, Nicky had seen her and she was smirking like an idiot when she walked to her table and without saying anything, she sat down opposite to Piper.

"Hey there, Blondie." Nicky greeted her smugly. She had left Alex about an hour ago, she needed to eat something other than the food of the vending machine at the hospital.

Piper looked up, blushing slightly "Hello, Nichols… how are you doing?" she managed to say.

"How do I look?" the wild haired woman replied sarcastically.

"Like shit" Piper smiled slightly

"Oh, well, thanks! You look great, too." She deadpanned and started laughing heartily. Piper laughed too and started to feel the stress dissipate.

"So… what was that all about, Blondie. Alex eventually showed me those texts." Nicky said without preamble.

"Oh, god. Now I want to die." Piper put her hand in her forehead, feeling her cheeks burn.

Nicky eyed her curiously. She really wanted to know what happened because Alex was angry at her but didn't tell her the whole story, just showed her the texts that said that Alex was seeking attention and that she wanted to know more about her.

"What's going on? I know we don't really know each other but I'm feeling some _Sapphic vibes_ comin' off of you, Blondie." Nicky ventured and watched Piper's reaction carefully, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Piper's eyes widened in surprise at that statement but she tried to shrug it off "No, that's not it, I mean, I practically watched her die, so I sort of feel… the need… I- I just want to make sure she's okay –No one should do that." Piper finished hastily.

Nicky had a shit eating grin but didn't say a thing, she just nodded and tried to change the subject for now. "And what brings you here this fine day?" she asked when the waitress arrived with her order. Nicky ordered a sandwich too and a beer and winked at the waitress before turning her head to Piper again, waiting for her answer.

"Uhm… breakfast?" Piper said sardonically.

Nicky raised her hands in mock surrender and slowly said "Don't be such a smartass I meant that on a deeper level, like, what motivated you to have lunch outside home all by yourself?" Nicky thanked the waitress as she left her beer on the table and took a large swig, moaning softly in delight. "I needed that." She shrugged.

"Well, you already know half the story of the texts, I was blind drunk, to be fair, and I didn't want to cook anything when I woke up, so here I am." Piper said bluntly.

"I'm not one to judge, Blondie." The waitress arrived with Nicky's order and told them she'd be at their service if they needed anything else.

They had lunch and talked for almost an hour, Piper told her about her jobs and Nicky was beyond surprised when she found out that Piper actually worked for her figurative mother, Red. Nicky happened to know her from her old bar back in Las Vegas and it turned out that Red was really fond of Nicky. And trying hard to remember, both agreed that they had actually seen each other. Nicky didn't go to The Litch often because she had a bad case of a broken heart, and her love was Piper's co-worker, who Piper knew was engaged. Small world.

Nicky agreed to visit the bar soon, Piper would tell her when Morello didn't work, and she'll visit Red and Piper. Both of them felt like they had known each other for a long time. After lunch, both went home. Piper went to do some research for her new article and Nicky went to sleep.

* * *

Around 5 pm. Alex woke up and as soon as she opened her eyes and looked at the empty white ceiling and walls of her hospital room, she sighed deeply. She needed to get back home, she needed to get out of here, whether the doctors wanted or not. She was desperate because she felt totally useless and alone, so she painfully grabbed her cellphone and dialed the number she was dreading to dial since she woke up.

"Hello" her voice was hoarse from sleep.

"Yeah, I'm sorry… I- yeah, I know, it's just – No! That's not it, I'm sorry I- Just listen to me I'm at the hospital –" She closed her eyes and sighed as the person on the other end of the line cursed profusely.

"I know… Just- just help me out, I need to get out of here, I promise I'll tell you everything, I won't do anything stupid, just come and pick me up, please. Sacred Heart Hospital" Alex sounded small, like a little kid talking to her mom.

"Deal. 15 minutes" The person on the other end suddenly hung up.

"Shit" Alex muttered and started tearing off all the tubes and catheters desperately, looking to the door to check that no one would see her. Her arms hurt like hell but she focused on the task of escaping this hell and poked her head slowly to the nurse station to check if anyone was there. Luckily they were on their rounds so she had little time to sneak out before they entered her room. She practically ran to the nurse station and looked frantically for the closet where the scrubs were kept. Her arms were bleeding at some open stitches but she didn't stop, she took a pair of scrubs and headed downstairs to look for the closest bathroom.

When she was on the floor below, she realized that she could easily escape through the earthquake proof stairs on the outside. She was still wearing the hospital gown with no underwear but this was a unique opportunity so she got out through a small door that said "Emergency Exit" and ran downstairs the four floors that were left to the street.

When she arrived downstairs, the sound of her footsteps draw the attention of the police officer guarding the hospital who yelled "Freeze" and started running to her. Alex raised her hands with the scrubs in them and stood still. The officer approached her and was about to call on his radio when he felt a sharp pain on his neck and his vision faded to black, the man carried the police officer to his station and positioned him on his chair. He looked out for anybody who may have seen them and after making sure no one did, he left.

"Thank you" Alex cried, suddenly remembering to close her gown on the back.

The tall, brazen man with a moustache nodded curtly and beckoned Alex to where he was parked.

"You have a lot to explain, Alex." Fahri said slowly. He had seen Alex's damaged arms and the stitches bleeding, so he didn't say anything else.

They entered his car and he started the car and headed to their boss' safe house. The ride was silent, Fahri eyed Alex occasionally, she was quiet and had her eyes closed, she looked really tired.

When they arrived, Fahri parked his car on the garage and cut the engine off. Alex was nervous and shaking, she didn't want to meet Kubra Balik, but she knew she had no option. They got out of the car and Alex told him that she needed to change her clothes, the scrubs still in her hand. Fahri told her that she should and that he'd send someone to check her stitches before talking to Kubra.

Alex headed to one of the guest rooms and entered the bathroom to clean herself and change her clothes. She groaned, her arms hurt even more and she hissed when the scrub touched her slightly. Someone knocked on her door and she opened carefully.

"Hello, I'm here to –"

"I know, come in." She deadpanned and sat on the edge of the bed.

The doctor checked her stitches and cleaned them with iodine, making Alex hiss in pain.

"Thank you." She told him when he finished. He nodded "Kubra is expecting you."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, friends, I hope you're having a great weekend. Here's chapter 8. Thank you all for reading this story.**

* * *

"I'm telling you… she had stitches all up from her wrists to her forearms. I don't think she played you, just wait until-"

Alex cleared her throat, standing by the doorstep, fidgeting awkwardly with the new bandages the doctor had applied.

Kubra gave her a stern look, cold enough to chill her bones and she entered slowly. The bald man with big rings nodded to Fahri and the latter immediately left the room and closed the door behind him.

"Look, Kubra I-"

"Sit down." He deadpanned. Alex obeyed and immediately sat down on the chair in front of Balik's desk.

Kubra stood up and took two glasses from a small cabinet to the right of the luxurious office and poured scotch in both. Walked all the way to where Alex was sitting and offered the glass.

Alex took it but grimaced and immediately put it down on the table with shaking hands. "Thank you" she whispered. "Where have you been? And why was the police raiding your house?" He said without preamble, suddenly annoyed.

"I…" Alex took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She felt totally embarrassed for admitting out loud for the first time that she had actually tried to kill herself. Her breath hitched in her throat and a gasping sound came out because words failed her. Her heart was beating faster as she searched for words to explain what was going on, although she was sure Fahri already told him.

"DID YOU TALK TO THE POLICE?" Kubra screamed at the too of his lungs, the vein in his forehead throbbing forcefully. Alex felt tiny drops of saliva landing on her face and her heart skipped a beat.

"N-no, of course not" she said in a shaky, small voice.

Kubra smiled, pleased with the answer and he seemed like a totally different person when he asked softly "Why were those bastards raiding your house?"

"I tried to kill myself" Alex blurted out. "And there was a problem with identifying me because a stranger found me down the road" she felt tight-throated and her eyes began to water so she blinked to fight back those tears.

"They f- they found my car and needed to make sure it was mine or I don't know… my ID was lost". She stood up, took a deep breath and drank the whole glass of scotch.

Kubra fixed his intense gaze on the brunette and went to sit in his own chair, placing the tips of his fingers together.

"Very well. You'll explain later. But I hope you're not lying and that those bastards didn't find a thing at your place. Or you know what I'll have to do."

Alex looked at him with an expression of utter terror in her eyes. She knew he wasn't lying, she has seen him getting rid of 'useless' people. "They just went to my house because the girl who found me was arrested. Caught sneaking in my car so they had to investigate." She finally finished her idea.

Kubra nodded. "You will stay here until everything settles, after all you escaped and Fahri drugged a policeman. I'll arrange everything so your personal belongings are brought here."

Alex absolutely didn't want this, but she knew she had no option, this was already decided. "Thank you so much, Kubra. You're very kind."

"I know" He smiled a crooked smile and waved her off.

"Fuck" she whispered when she closed the door behind her.

* * *

"Oh God." Piper sighed after two hours of doing research. She felt absolutely thrilled to interview survivors who she contacted through the Internet. She bit her bottom lip thinking hard. Alex definitely was going to be her first interview because it was an special situation.

Piper took a quick shower again and put on a pair of black skinny jeans and a red checkered button up, put on light make up and took her leather jacket for the night and headed out.

It was around 6:30 pm so she had little time to calm her nerves and finally meet Alex before her shift at the Litch. All the way to the hospital she would catch herself fantasizing about how that meeting would go and rehearsing in her mind the different scenarios and reactions Alex might have. Getting more and more nervous as she got closer.

The cab she was riding stopped in front of the hospital entrance and she got out, paid the driver, looked up the hospital building and took a deep breath before crossing the main entrance and walking to the reception.

"Hello, I'm here to see Alex Vause." Piper smiled to the receptionist who didn't even turned to look at her.

"Vause…" she seemed to scroll through a list of patients and after a moment she announced that she couldn't see her. "Even if she were here, if you're not a relative you can't see the patient."

"Even if she were here? What do you mean? She's here, ICU cubicle 7, I have the pass to see her." She showed the piece of paper Nicky gave her that granted her permission to see her.

"Patient's no longer here." The receptionist said in a bored tone.

Piper didn't know what to say or do. Nicky didn't tell her that Alex was free to go home. She felt a pang of disappointment.

"She left on her own a few hours ago, didn't have the authorization." The nurse finally acknowledged Piper as a human being.

"Thank you." Was all she said before turning around and taking her cellphone out of her jeans pocket. She dialed Nicky's number but she didn't pick up.

Feeling the rush of adrenaline she boldly decided it was a good idea to go to the address of the ID she still had. It was not far away from the hospital so she decided to walk there, trying to call Nicky every couple of minutes but having no luck.

So before she turned right on the last street she texted the wild haired woman:

 _Piper: Please call me as soon as you get this._

She reached the house marked with number 182 and knocked on the door several times with no response. She tried to look through the windows but it was in vain.

* * *

As soon as the person on the other end of the line answered, the man informed him: "There's a blonde one outside who won't go. She's been knocking on the door for half an hour, what should we do?"

"Okay, got it." He hung up and watched Piper closely.

* * *

9:20 pm

Nicky woke up feeling finally rested after almost six hours of sleep. She yawned and rubbed her neck, blinked several times and sat down on her bed. Stretched her arms and sighed. Se took her cellphone and checked it.

"What the Fuck?" she muttered and dialed Piper's number.

No response.

She suddenly remembered Piper mentioning that her shift started at 9 so she assumed the blonde was busy so she waited an hour but Piper didn't communicate back, so she called again.

Voice-mail.

Nicky was so intrigued about Piper's text that she decided to go to the Litch. Maybe seeing Lorna again after a long time wasn't going to be that bad.

About an hour and a half later, Nicky was sitting down on which used to be her favorite stool by the bar in the Litch, ordering a Stout.

The wild haired woman savored her beer, watching everyone around her. She still knew almost all of the staff.

She saw Tricia, Boo, John, Sophia, Gina and George but no signs of Lorna. She thought it was for the best, maybe she wasn't as ready as she thought.

She stood up and headed to the back of the bar, where the offices and the employees' room was to look for Red.

"Hello, Red" she said over the loud music on the doorstep.

The Russian woman looked up and although she had her brows knitted together, her expression was unreadable.

She stood up and rounded her desk, reaching Nicky in 5 long strides but stopping abruptly in front of the shorter woman.

"Hey." Nicky actually waved at her.

"Ow." Nicky complained taking her hand to her left cheek where Red had slapped her.

"What-?" she was interrupted by a pair of strong arms around her, crushing her bones in a hug.

The gesture made Nicky want to cry but she fought it and tried to joke with Red. "So you did miss me after all."

Red's expression softened visibly and she smiled, on the edge of tears herself. "Thank God you're back! You never answered my calls and you actually moved out of your apartment. I was worried sick! I thought you had-" she said in her thick russian accent and turned around breathing deeply.

"I'm okay, ma. I'm really sorry. I am." She rubbed the back of her neck "I just needed to get away. I didn't want Morello to find me, so-"

"I know! But now you're back and that's all that matters to me." Nicky smiled, feeling relieved. She didn't know she missed Red so much because she always tried to avoid feelings.

She cleared her throat and changed the subject "Hey, mom, so where's Chapman?"

Red spun her head so fast that it must have hurt "You're not dating another of my employees! Remembered what happened! Didn't you understand with-" She sat down on her chair and Nicky did the same on the chair in front of the desk.

"Relax! She's just my… acquaintance?" she questioned herself out loud.

Red just raised an eyebrow.

"Really. She just wants to meet Alex… long story." She looked to the floor, suddenly feeling guilty of being here instead of in the hospital.

Red noticed that and asked "Is everything okay with Vause?"

"Like I said… it's a long story, I promise I'll tell you."

"Red, are we supposed to serve this like-" a Brooklyn accent asked Red all the way from across the halls.

Nicky froze on her spot.

Red widened her eyes and hastily replied "Chapman didn't show up tonight and we haven't been able to reach her." She stood up and tried to avoid the awkward encounter but it was too late.

Lorna was on the doorstep and there was no mistake as to whom that mane belonged to. She stood rooted to the spot and dropped the cocktail she was carrying.

* * *

Piper opened her eyes and began to panic. She started hyperventilating and a horrible feeling of dread took hold of whole body. She felt her stomach do unpleasant summersaults. She tried to scream but noticed that her mouth was covered and the screams came out muffled.

She sat down, at least she was on a bed. "She's up" a voice said outside of the room, the door was unlocked and a very young woman with long, black hair entered the room, followed by a taller one with heavy eyeliner.

"If you scream, you're dead, pendeja." The taller one put a gun to her temple and the shorter girl removed the gag slowly, gauging the blonde's reaction.

"If you want money I don't have much, I swear I work at a local newspaper and-"

"Cállate, estúpida, no dijimos que pudieras hablar." The heavy eyeliner girl said as she smacked Piper with the gun on the temple.

The blonde cried in pain and took her hands to her mouth to prevent another sound from coming out.

"That's better, Bitch." The shorter one told her.

"I don't think she knows anything, Flaca." She told the taller one, bored as if this was something she did on a daily basis.

"What were you doing outside Vause's house?" Flaca inquired.

* * *

"You have awful taste in women, Vause. Some things never change." a skinny man with a toothpick between his teeth teased Alex in the kitchen while he reluctantly made her a sandwich.

"What do you mean?" Alex said uninterested in bantering.

"They skinny blonde who was at your place earlier today."

Alex's heart skipped a beat and she looked at Aydin suddenly interested in the chat. "Nicky? You know Nicky, right?".

"No, not Nicky. A skinny, tall blonde. She knocked on your door for almost half an hour so she obviously knew you weren't at the hospital, so Kubra ordered me to kidnap her because she might be your accomplice and Kubra still thinks you're betraying him someway. Maybe dosing the stuff and selling on your own eh, Vause." Aydin said with a triumphant smirk on his face, thinking he just caught her.

"What?" Alex said bewildered. "I'm not dosing anything! I don't even handle that stuff, I just import and you know that!".

"Maybe…" He put the plate with the sandwich in front of Alex "Maybe that's what you want the boss to believe and even made the whole 'I want to kill myself' act to avoid him" He air quoted.

"Genius, _**I**_ _contacted_ Fahri, don't be ridiculous." She said offended and scoffed. "Do you even know her name?" she asked disgusted.

"Something Chapman." He still eyed Alex suspiciously.

Alex's eyes widened and she felt instantly guilty; because of her, an _innocent,_ young lady was kidnapped and it seemed like whether she wanted or not, it was destined for them to meet.


	9. Chapter 9

" _What were you doing outside Vause's house?" Flaca inquired._

"I- I was… j-just-" Piper stuttered, embarrassed by the situation. After all, she was _desperately_ looking for a girl she didn't know, so to speak.

"I-I-I-I. Learn to talk, pendeja." Maritza said mocking her, which earned a laugh from Flaca. Piper took a deep breath and felt her temper rising, so she creased her brows and snapped "Why the Fuck must you do this? I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ALEX VAUSE I WAS JUST –" smack. Maritza punched her in the face and Flaca raised her hands, grabbed her by the shirt and threw her to the ground, where Maritza started kicking her while yelling between kicks. "No. One. Yells. At. Me. Chinga. Tu puta. Madre."

"Shit, calm down, Maritza." Flaca said, wrapping her arms around Maritza to stop her. "Pues esta pendeja que me faltó al respeto." Maritza said frowning. "I know, baby. But calm down, Kubra said to not hurt her too much, remember?"

"Al carajo con lo que dijo, ella ni siquiera es importante aquí, además, Kubra ya encontró a Alex. Y ésta ni siquiera la conoce. So we can kill her and no one would bat an eye" Maritza spit the last words, looking sideways to where Piper was lying on the floor.

"I know, you're right. But you don't want to make Kubra angry. You know HE isn't joking, and I really don't want you to get hurt." Flaca tried to reason with Maritza, who was still mad because she felt disrespected.

Piper opened her eyes slowly, thankful that the beating had stopped. She felt a stabbing pain on her left side and every time she tried to breathe, something literally stabbed her. Tears starting falling down, she knew she must have at least a pair of broken ribs so she took short, shallow breaths to try to ease the pain.

Her face felt sticky and she noticed small particles of the carpet inside her mouth. Her left eye was getting puffier by the minute and she barely recognized the words that the two girls were saying. She focused on her surroundings, trying to block the agonizing pain she was feeling when she noticed a small gun taped to the base of the bed.

* * *

Alex rushed to Kubra when Aydin told her about the blonde. She knocked on his office door but got no reply.

"Fuck." She walked down the corridors of the luxurious house, looking for Kubra when she heard faded thumps coming from the other side of a guest room door, and when she was about to open the door, there was a loud bang.

A gun was fired.

She felt pure panic rising through her body. For no reason she felt guilty and worried as she never had been before. So she reached for her own gun, which she had tucked safely inside her right boot and entered the room, forcefully.

The scene in front of her eyes was that of a crime movie. Two girls were lying on the ground, bleeding, one on her back and the other face up. The one with black hair was unconscious and her friend was sobbing on her knees, going crazy with every passing second, reaching for her gun to finish off the blonde girl, who wasn't unconscious but was bleeding profusely. Even more than the shorter one.

Alex had to move really fast. She kicked the gun out of Flaca's reach and pointed her own .41 to her colleague's temple. "Calm down! Don't do anything stupid and call an ambulance. RIGHT NOW." Alex said with raspy and demanding voice.

She couldn't even see the face of the girl, or try to move her because she was watching Flaca's every move, always pointing her, ready to shoot.

Alex tried to keep calm, but she felt her heart thumping loudly in her chest and in her ears. A little more adrenaline and her hands would start shaking uncontrollably. She tried to control her process of breathing, checking that the blonde girl was breathing too.

Several minutes passed in silence until Flaca asked furiously: "Who is that bitch and why are you protecting her?"

"I don't know her. Just following orders." Alex said stoically.

"Then kill her. She injured _your_ colleague!" and she was kind of right, if it was any other time and case, she might have agreed on that.

"She's right, Vause." Aydin's voice resonated from the door, with his regulatory toothpick between his disgusting teeth, he was kneeling on the doorframe.

 _Fuck._ Alex thought frantically. Desperate for an answer to this predicament. On one hand, she knew they were right, she "deserved" to die, but she didn't want her to die. On her mind, the phrase "She saved your life." kept replaying like a broken record and she knew it was only fair to try to save her, but of course, no one would understand, especially people who are paid to kill.

"I can't." She said curtly.

Aydin scoffed. "You _can't_?" He pointed at Alex with his toothpick and smiled.

"No. That's not up for discussion. I just _can't."_ She said in the most confident manner she could and Aydin laughed hard.

Flaca was torn between amusement and deep anger when Maritza stirred and babbled incoherently.

"Shh, baby. Everything will be fine, the ambulance is coming." She stroked her hair and focused entirely on Maritza, checking her injury.

Aydin got closer to Alex. "I knew it." He just said and turned around to leave the room. Surely to tell Kubra who knows what about Piper, when Alex yelled: "I can't kill her because she's Kubra's secret lover."

 _Way to go, Vause._

* * *

 _ **3 years later**_

"What are you talking about? Of course I can't! Don't you understand?" Alex said flustered.

"Why? I know you have enough money to never have to work and what about _**us**_?" Piper's temper rising dangerously.

"What about us?" Alex motioned between the two, confused by what Piper told her.

"You can't seriously think that everything's okay between us because it's fucking not! You fuck up everything you touch because **you** are fucked up! I tried my best to make sure you're okay and I lost myself in the process!" Piper yelled, getting closer to Alex.

" **I** didn't ask you for any of that –"

"Oh my God, such an ungrateful bitch!" her voice hoarse.

"Don't you dare call me that, Piper! If anyone's being ungrateful here it's **you.** " Piper laughed humorlessly and Alex took a deep breath, gritting her teeth and closing her eyes.

"Because I fucking saved you, you asshole and if you don't recall –" Alex raised her voice.

"Oh, don't give me that because if YOU don't recall _**I**_ saved your life first." Piper dropped her voice dangerously.

Alex burst out laughing.

"You know what? I'm sorry. But you should have let me die that night. You wouldn't be suffering as much as you are n-" Suddenly, Piper's lips were kissing her forcefully.

Alex didn't kiss back at first because she was angry at the blonde for being so dramatic but she couldn't resist too long and she found herself kissing back with all she had. Soon, Piper's tongue searched desperately for her lover's, feeling the wetness in her eyes fall in regretful tears.

When Alex felt Piper crying, she stopped kissing her girlfriend and put her forehead against Piper's, removing the tears tenderly, with her thumbs. "I'm really sorry for bringing that up." Piper sobbed.

"Shhh. It's okay, Pipes. I was an asshole, too." Piper smiled a little and swatted Alex playfully on the arm. "What do you mean, too?"

Alex kissed her slow and deeply, resting her hands on her hips, bringing Piper closer to her. "I didn't mean to say those things, Pipes, I'm sorry, too."

"Don't ever say that again, Al. It hurt too much."

"But I'm really sorry –"

"Not that, you idiot." She dropped herself on the bed and beckoned Alex to lie with her. Alex sat down with her back on the headboard as Piper curled up against her left and with her mouth pressed to the brunette's neck, she whispered: "Don't ever say that I should have let you die." She sobbed and Alex wrapped her hands around her protectively, kissed the top of her head and pondered for a moment, because she did think that Piper would be better off without her. She could be a successful whatever she wanted to be, and Alex practically forced her to a life of crime. Piper just draw lazy patterns on Alex's scars on her right forearm.

After a couple of minutes in silence, Alex whispered softly: "I'm really thankful, Pipes. Because I got to know you. And fall in love with you. That's the best thing." She fell silent and took a deep breath.

"You are the best thing that ever happened to me." She turned her head down to look at the blonde who was smiling sweetly and after setting her blue eyes on Alex, she couldn't help but hurt deeply, because there was nothing else but deep love and adoration on those azure eyes. _And I'm the worst that ever happened to you._

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you… ever. I feel like I put you in a coffin the second you met me. And I regret that, really. I wish I could be with you like a normal couple. But here we are, involved in this stupid cartel."

"…I fucked up your life, Pipes. I'm sorry but I should have really died." Alex whispered painfully.

Piper didn't seem to acknowledge those words because she had an expression of total concentration. Alex creased her brow and paid attention to her girlfriend, who after another whole minute, turned to look at her and resolved: "I can't deal with the cartel anymore. I want out. And shut up about those things because if it weren't for that, I may have never met you, and I don't care how many cartels I have to be involved in in all the other lives to come, I'd do it all again as many times as needed, if you think there's such a thing as reincarnation, but seriously. I don't regret a single moment."

"You've become my home, my life, my everything. Can't you see it?" Piper kissed Alex once again and continued "And I know you somehow want to escape, too. So let's escape together, Al" the blonde said slowly, reaching to touch Alex's cheek, caressing her softly and looking her deep in the eyes, waiting for an answer.

Alex sighed and bit her lip worriedly. On one hand she really did want to quit the cartel because her life was a total chaos of constant stress, but on the other hand, no job would ever give her that thrill and as it happened to be, she was absolutely brilliant at it. As much as she loved Piper and indeed wanted not to be controlled a 100% by another human being, she still enjoyed her job, and it was a sick symbiosis.

"You think we can make it? I mean… you know Kubra and sometimes I think that the only way we can get rid of him would be either death or in jail."

"So let's."

Alex's eyes widened in utter surprise. It's not like she had never thought about it, but the fact that Piper was the one to suggest it, was unthinkable.

"What have I done with you?"

* * *

The next day, the sun was shining brightly and Piper was feeling a lot better. She was still trapped but at least she now had a resolution. An idea that took residence deep inside her mind. She knew she would have to say goodbye to Alex today, she'd have to go to London and the brunette had work at Mexico.

Before breakfast, they showered together and had sad, silent sex, and downstairs, at the breakfast table, they shared meaningful looks. Silent declarations of love and grief mixed together. Neither of them had the habit of saying 'Good-Bye' because they thought it was a statement. So they just kissed fiercely, pouring their hearts in every movement and nodding at each other before entering their respective limos under the blazing California sun.

Alex had no trouble passing to Mexico, by 10 o´clock and in total darkness, she arrived to her assigned apartment in the heart of Mexico City, where she immediately checked all her social media, to see if Piper had said anything, but still no word from her. She'd have to wait until Piper reached her flat on downtown London, so she opened a beer and headed out to the balcony of her apartment.

The city never slept so she grabbed her coat and decided to leave around 2 in the morning, after severely anguishing over the fact that more than 14 hours had passed since they shared that last kissed.

All over the other side of the world, in London, Piper was arriving at the airport, after nearly 15 hours, because her flight was tremendously delayed, so she didn't even wait to be inside of the car that was picking her up tonight to dial Alex's number.

"Dear God, I was so worried, baby." Alex's raspy voice sounded on the other side of the line.

"I know…" Piper said softly, on the edge of tears. " My…" she swallowed the lump on her throat. "My flight got delayed, I'm sorry, I wanted to let you know, but… you know. And how's Mexico? Are you drunk by now? I really miss you, already."

"Baby."

"Because, you know… after everything I said, I just-"

"Baby."

"I'm really sorry that I act like an asshole sometimes, it's just that-"

"I love you, Piper Chapman. And I know. I'm drunk, yeah, Mexico's beautiful, but I need you here. And I, sure as hell miss you too." Alex chuckled.

"Sorry." Piper smiled softly.

"It's okay, baby. I want this to be over. I have to go now, I'll tell you everything later. Have a safe trip, please. And don't you forget that I love you." Alex said honestly.

"I won't. You remember it too."

"Of course… I love me, how could I forget?"

"Smartass. Take care." Piper said and hung up.

Alex smiled like an idiot, she was standing in the middle of the corridor. She didn't feel like going out all of a sudden, so she'd return to her room and try to get some sleep.

"You want what to be over?" a short, scrawny girl, with short, curly hair asked her.

Alex jumped in fright and put her hand on her chest. "Oh my God. You scared the shit out of me."

"Well, yeah… I want all of this to be over, so I can be with my girlfriend." She said matter-of-factly.

"For a moment… I thought you meant the cartel." She eyed Alex curiously.

The brunette laughed as a way to shrug it off.

"I mean… don't you ever want the cartel to be over? Because I do. I sometimes wish I didn't made all those bad choices.

Alex pondered if she could trust this girl or not.

"Want to grab a couple of beers?" she offered, finally.

The shorter girl smiled sweetly "Yeah, of course."

"You're so lucky, Alex. I'd totally understand why you'd like to leave the cartel." She said genuinely, as Alex opened the door to her room and motioned her to enter.

"Shh." She pressed her finger to her lips, closing the door after her. "Look, Poussey, I don't know you that well, but you seem okay, so, here." She threw Poussey a beer and took another one from the fridge for herself. "But you must understand, that I have to make you promise you won't say anything to anyone. Because if you do, I'll have to kill you and the person you talk to about this." Alex said seriously.

"Oh, man. I get it, I was right. But yeah, totally. I won't tell. If anything, I'll help you." She offered smiling.

Alex felt a little relieved. "I have a plan."

"I like those words."

"To kill Kubra."

* * *

 **A/N: Fist of all, hello yo y'all. i'm really sorry that it took me this long to post again. I've been really busy, but I really want to finish this.**

 **I promise that I'll alternate the story between present and future, and the scene where they finally "meet" (properly) is still coming. I hope you didn't find this time jump too awkward.**


	10. Chapter 10

"You really think we can pull this off?" Poussey asked intrigued by Alex's plan.

"I hope. It's the best we can do. But we definitely need more people involved with us," Alex replied quietly.

"And we also need less people by his side, if you know what I mean," she finished Alex's idea, trying to sound hopeful. "We need to kill Aydin first, and make it look like murder or suicide -" Poussey ventured but was interrupted by Alex, shaking her head.

"He would never commit suicide, Poussey. We need to find a way… set a trap, he's no easy target, you know that, we all know it, he's a tough motherfucker," Alex muttered angrily as she chugged down the last of her beer.

"We'll find a way. Now… I need to ask you this… We need more people in, do you trust my friends?" the scrawny girl inquired as she threw her empty beer bottle to the nearest bin, acing her shot.

"Honestly, I don't know them too well. As you know,I haven't been around lately...with everything that happened to me and all, so I don't know who to trust… In fact," she stood up and walked to the fridge to get replacements for their drinks, "I wasn't sure if I should trust you, and forgive me, but I'm still wondering if it was the right choice to tell you everything," she told Poussey from the fridge, before she returned to sit down, watching Poussey's reactions intently.

"Fair enough. I get it, man. I'd do the same, but I can assure you that I'm as tired with this bullshit as you are," Poussey replied honestly and they both kept silent for a moment, drinking their cold beers.

"So… we'll see how this goes," Alex suddenly said and tried to think of the best way to get rid of their first and most troublesome target.

* * *

The trip was difficult for Piper because she was with Aydin and he was still suspicious of her, even after all this time, so he'd keep an eye on her whenever he could and that made Piper uncomfortable, aside from the fact that Piper was reaching her limit; she was tired of everything that had to do with the cartel.

Being said that she basically didn't have any privacy, she tried not to text or call Alex as much as she wanted to, which made the brunette feel confused, even though she knew Piper's reasons, she still felt like something else was happening and she didn't want to acknowledge it, but the words Piper said resonated in the back of her mind relentlessly: _"You can't seriously think that everything's okay between us because it's fucking not!"_

Alex tried to deal with her part of the business in Mexico as fast as she could so she could return home to see her girlfriend. As much as they loved each other, the cartel had taken its toll on both of them and their relationship. That's why Alex was obsessed with killing her boss.

She would daydream incessantly about the "ideal" way, to ensure that they would be free; because she was sure that if it didn't work out, her relationship with Piper was doomed and most definitely would end.

Alex pondered occasionally what would she do if that were to happen, and she made a promise to herself, that if they broke up, she'd make sure that Piper was free of everything, she'd do whatever it takes to ensure Piper would have a normal life; she always thought Piper deserved that.

Because Piper had always been kind to her… hell, she saved her life when they were strangers and everything that happened seemed to be destined because from the moment they _properly_ met they were connected to each other.

 _Flashback_

 _As soon as the ambulances arrived they were threatened and explained that they had to save them there or they had to die._

 _As nervous as the paramedics were, they did their best to try to save both girls, providing basic aid and checking vitals, Alex returned to the room and grabbed him by the neck of his shirt, "Listen to me, you can't mention a thing about this girl, you clearly know she's not Kubra's lover but I had to say that to shut Flaca up" Aydin had a raised eyebrow and a stupid smirk._

" _I'm serious, she's nothing to do with anything, I actually don't really know her but I know she saved me when I -" she swallowed, "you know… so, I need her to be okay so she can be free again -" Aydin interrupted her abruptly, shoving her off of him._

" _She can't possibly be free, she knows about us, so...you know the rules," he said emotionless._

" _Fine. Asshole. Let me talk to her first, when she's able to do so," Alex pleaded, even though she had to make a great effort to swallow her pride and actually plea to this bastard._

" _Ugh, that's why I think women shouldn't be working with us; you're too sensitive," the sexist man replied with a disgusted face. "Fine, but if she does not agree to work for us, I will personally kill her," he threatened._

 _Alex was spared of replying when a paramedic interrupted them: "I'm t- terribly sorry, but we definitely need to take them both to the hospital; they're both stable for now but they're surely going to die if we don't take them," he recited so quickly that it was actually hard to understand the words he said._

" _Fine, fine, whatever you need to do, just do it fast, before the boss returns." Fahri's voice resonated from the end of the hallway._

 _The young paramedic nodded stupidly and they prepared everything for the transfer and the matter was that both needed a caregiver to go with them in the ambulance, so obviously Marisol went with Maritza and Alex went with Piper._

 _Alex hadn't seen Piper's face until they were both up in the ambulance; the blonde laid in the stretcher; her face looked badly bruised and starting to get swollen, she had an oxygen mask and her left hand was connected to an IV; there were bandages all over her body._

 _It made Alex really angry and sad at the same time; as much as she was a stranger, she knew who she was and why she was important in her life without having talked to her. Somehow, she felt a little bit relieved, because technically, this meant that they were even now._

 _Piper wasn't unconscious but she felt too weak to open her eyes and there was definitely something wrong with her chest because she felt like oxygen didn't enter properly to her lungs and she was in so much pain that she wanted to pass out, but when she was finally in the ambulance, she felt safer and allowed herself to cry._

 _Alex, who was watching her intently, immediately noticed it and hesitated before leaning into Piper's stretcher and whispering close to her: "Hey," she swallowed "Chapman, don't worry, I'm not letting anything happen to you, I give you my word; I will take care of you," she choked up for some reason._

 _Piper listened carefully and tried with all her might to open her eyes, she wanted to see who her savior was._

 _Her eyelids felt heavy and her head hurt when light hit her eyes so she creased her brow and opened her eyes slowly. Her right eye hurt and felt hot, but she opened it anyway._

 _Everything Piper felt before that moment, was completely forgotten as her azure eyes locked with the emerald ones._

 _The blonde never expected to see Alex looking at her when she opened her eyes, but felt her heart ache when she saw those eyes, full of unshed tears and how clearly she could see through them. In that moment, Alex had the most expressive eyes Piper had seen in a long time._

 _That was the first time Alex got lost in those electric blues and as much as she tried to stop herself, she couldn't resist the sudden urge and she gently dried Piper's tears with the pads of her thumbs._

 _Piper closed her eyes at the sudden contact and felt so tired that she just leaned a little into Alex's hand but didn't open her eyes again._

* * *

 _One week, Piper had a second surgery to remove fluid from her lungs; her ribs were healing slowly, her face was still pretty much bruised up and swollen and her head had received 4 stitches._

 _She had a concussion from the hard blow she received with the end of the gun, so, as her brain was swollen, she was unconscious, to ensure her protection._

 _Alex had been by her side every single day, hadn't eaten or slept properly, but she was making sure no one disturbed her in any way. She passed her time reading to the blonde, whatever she thought she'd enjoy just from wild guesses, and when she wasn't reading to Piper, she talked a lot to her._

 _Alex eventually opened up to the unconscious blonde about her suicide attempt, and told her that she was really grateful for what she did and how she was just like an angel sent from her mother or someone up there._

 _She told Piper how she was angry at first, and that she didn't really wanted to know her, and explained that it was because she didn't know how to feel or how to react._

" _It's a coward's move, but it's easier to talk to you this way," Alex sighed "I hope you're listening to me and at the same time, I hope you're not," she took the blonde's hand in her own. "But I definitely want you to get better."_

" _Okay, so, I'll read something I brought today," she cleared her throat as she let go of Piper's hand to reach a small book that was placed on the table beside the bed._

 _Alex opened it and sat down beside Piper, and looked at her before taking her hand again with her right one, book on the other one and she started:_

 _"The Road Not Taken._

 _Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,_

 _And sorry I could not travel both_

 _And be one traveler, long I stood_

 _And looked down one as far as I could_

 _To where it bent in the undergrowth;_

 _Then took the other, as just as fair,_

 _And having perhaps the better claim,_

 _Because it was grassy and wanted wear;_

 _Though as for that the passing there_

 _Had worn them really about the same,_

 _And both that morning equally lay_

 _In leaves no step had trodden black._

 _Oh, I kept the first for another day!_

 _Yet, knowing how way leads on to way,_

 _I doubted if I should ever come back._

 _I shall be telling his with a sigh_

 _Somewhere ages and ages hence:_

 _Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -_

 _I took the one less traveled by,_

 _And that has made all the difference."_

 _Alex was absort thinking about what she just read, her nose scrunched in concentration, trying to figure out what Robert Frost meant that she didn't notice the small smile and the piercing gaze directed to her._

" _That doesn't mean what everyone thinks it means…" Piper suddenly spoke in a harsh voice_

 _Alex's heart pounded violently in her chest when she heard that voice and she turned her head so quickly, she actually hurt her neck._

 _She blinked rapidly, and was rendered speechless. So in awe that she didn't even remember she wasn't supposed to be holding her hand._

" _Everyone thinks the poem means to break away from the crowd and do your own thing. But Frost is very clear that the two reads are exactly the same. He just chooses one at random. So the point of the poem is that everyone wants to look back and think that their choices matter. But in reality, shit just happens the way that it happens, and it doesn't matter,"_

" _You really think that?!" Alex bellowed, totally amused "I think that choices don't matter, somehow if… something" she looked at their hands, "is destined… to be…" she locked eyes with Piper who was breathing a little bit more quickly, "the outcome -"_

" _Will be the same." Piper finished her idea timidly, her heart monitor betraying her, beeping dangerously faster when Alex got lost in her beautiful blues again._

 _End of Flashback_

Alex sighed audibly and decided to go to England instead of returning home, she decided to surprise her hot girlfriend there.


End file.
